mistletoe

April 3, 2018

Anti-inflammatory

Inflammation is our body’s response to infection and injury. Its purpose is to clear out foreign cells and dead cells from the local area.  Inflammation is characterized by increased redness, heat, pain, and swelling to an area.  Anti-inflammatory herbs reduce inflammation in various ways.  For example, spices like turmeric, ginger, […]
April 3, 2018

Antimicrobial

Herbs and essential oils are known for their antimicrobial potential, and have been studied for their abilities to inhibits or kill microbes including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and yeast.  It is important to understand therapeutic margin for each botanical, the amount at which a substance is both safe and effective to […]
April 3, 2018

Antioxidant

Antioxidant herbs, fruits, and vegetables have the potential to reduce oxidation, which can cause free radicals to form.  This can then contribute to aging and disease. Eat Your Colors! Antioxidants protect your cells!  They are found in the richly colorful fruits and vegetables that we eat.  Here are some examples: RED […]
April 5, 2018

Mistletoe (Viscum album) Research

Latin Name: Viscum album Family: Santalaceae There is limited scientific research on the human use of mistletoe.  However, more research is warranted on the topic of mistletoe supplements as a cancer treatment.  Its viscotoxins may have an apoptotic and cytotoxic effect on cancer cells.  Further, it has shown potential as an […]
April 7, 2018

Hypoglycemic / Antidiabetic

Hypoglycemic herbs have the potential to lower blood sugar levels and improve other symptoms associated with diabetes.  Discuss with your Doctor how the use of herbs to lower blood sugar levels can affect certain medical conditions and medications. Hypoglycemic Herb Recipes Blog Articles RESEARCH The listings of research below represent […]
April 8, 2018

Joint Pain / Arthritis

Joint pain includes bursitis, tendinitis, arthritis, and sprains.  Joint conditions can worsen when a person is overweight. For inflammation from an injury, apply ice as soon as possible, and rest, compress, and elevate, and try taking turmeric or ginger root to reduce inflammation.  With mild injuries, gently massage anti-inflammatory topical creams. Consult […]
April 9, 2018

Anxiety / Mood / Anti-depressive

Anxiety can be caused by many things.  Over time, these stressors can have a negative physical effect on the body.  Herbs and essential oils have demonstrated sedative and anxiolytic activities in many human studies. Recipes to Help with Anxiety Blog Articles Here’s a fun article about the how stimulating the […]
December 10, 2018

Mistletoe

December 13, 2018

Cancer Fighting Plants: Summary of a Scholarly Article

What are some cancer fighting plants? A recent article, published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine in 2015, lists potential plant based anti-cancer sources.  I found it a powerful read, summarizing human studies on plants with anti-cancer effects.  In this blog, I have picked out some key pointers from the article […]
December 1, 2019

Just the Right Amount of Mistletoe

So romantic is an embraced kiss underneath the mistletoe, holiday music playing in the background, and the tree alight.  But did you know that the mistletoe we kiss our sweethearts under is a ruthlessly parasitic plant?  It attaches to a host tree, sending roots into its victim’s vascular tissue.  Like […]